Translation of the Chofetz Chaim's Sefer Shmiras HaLashon. This site is dedicated to the improvement of the speech of members of Bnei Yisrael. To help avoid all sorts of troubles, learn Shmiras HaLashon - "One who guards his mouth and his tongue guards from troubles of his soul." (Mishlei: 21; 23)

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Shmiras HaLashon ג טבת - Teves 3 - Ninety-Third Day

In order to quiet the matter [of being wronged by his fellow] in his mind, I have said to copy [down] one lofty concept, the source of which is found in the Yirushalmi[1], [this teaching being brought] in the SMa”G,[2] [states as follows]: Just as if one would be walking on the path and one foot hit into the other foot, and, as a result, [the person] fell on the ground, and his body, face, as well as his foot got injured, aside [from the fact] that he does not think to take revenge against that foot by denying [the treatment to] heal it, he does not even bear any hatred against that foot. [The person does not exact retribution against his foot], for who is the foot [belong to], and who is his body and face? All [of these parts of his body] are part of one [being], though [the body] is separated into [various] limbs! Rather, [instead of taking revenge on his foot, the person concludes] that [it must be] his sins [that] caused [this suffering to befall] him.

[The above analogy] is similarly [applicable and it is forbidden to take revenge and bear a grudge against his fellow], if a situation will occur [in which this person] will not do a certain [act of] good to him, which he [had] sought from [this person]. Even [if his fellow were to] cause him pain, and insult him in a given matter, he should [nevertheless] not take revenge and should not bear [any] hatred [within himself] against [this individual. He should not retaliate or hate this person who he feels wronged him], for who is his fellow, and who is he? Everything has emanated from one source, as it is written [in Divrei HaYomim I], “Who is like Your nation Israel, they are one nation in the land” (Divrei HaYomim I: 17; 21), and it is written, “The entire soul that came to the House of Ya’akov…”, (Bireishis: 46; 27) [The above quoted verse] does not write “souls”, [in the plural, in order] to teach us, that, Above, [in Heaven], all the souls of [the Nation of] Israel are as one soul, even though each [person] has their own characteristics.[3] [This] resembles the overall [makeup of the] person, even though, in general, he is one person, however, he [is composed of] primary limbs, such as the head and the heart, [as well as] those [limbs] that are secondary such as the hand and the foot, [each limb serving a unique purpose. In addition], all [of the souls of] Israel, will, in the end, be gathered to one source, that being under [HaShem’s] Throne of Glory. [This follows that which] is stated [in sefer Shmuel, as follows], “and the soul of my master will be bundled in the bundle of life…”, as our Sages of Blessed Memory have said [in maseches Shabbos (152b), see RaSh”I]. Only in this world, as the person is enclothed in his own physicality, and each person’s affairs and actions are specific to him, a person imagines in his mind that he is an individual man, and is not connected at all to his fellow Jew, however, in reality, this is not the case.

[1] Note from the “Kol HaLashon” Hebrew printing of sefer “Shmiras HaLashon”: [This teaching is found in [maseches] Nidarim: Chapter 9; Halacha 4, also see the commentary “Korban HaEidah” on the gemara.]

The gemara in the Yirushalmi discusses an incident where Rabbi Meir retracted an individuals vow to not financially benefit a specific Jew. He stated, had you known that by vowing against helping this individual you would have transgressed the mitzvos of not bearing a grudge, not taking revenge, loving your fellow Jew as you love yourself, and helping your fellow by allowing him to “live with you” by supporting him, you would not have taken the vow against benefiting him financially.

[2] From “Kol HaLashon”: This teaching is found in the SMa”G (Sefer Mitzvos Gidolos), positive [mitzvah] 9.

[3] A similar teaching is found in Vayikra Rabba (Parsha 4, end of sif 6), where Rabbi Yihoshua ben Korchah teaches that the Jewish People are considered as sharing one soul, for we serve the same G-d. However, with regards to Eisav, the Torah writes "souls" in the plural. (Bireishis: 36; 6) The reason for the distinction between the descendants of Ya'akov and the descendants of Eisav is that Eisav's descendants worshipped many "gods".